It’s the people’s victory, says Andhra chief minister

Hyderabad, May 16 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who led the Congress party to power in the state once again Saturday, termed the election result the “people’s victory”. Talking to reporters at Gandhi Bhavan, the party headquarters, he thanked every citizen of the state for reposing faith in the Congress party and vowed to continue the welfare and development works taken up during last five years.

The Congress bagged 155 seats in 294-member assembly to form the government on its own and won 30 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats.

“The Congress party emerged victorious as it enjoyed credibility among the masses. The people believed in what we promised and did during last five years both at the centre and in the state,” he said.

“We won because people were on our side. It was our alliance with the people,” he said, taking a pot-shot at the four-party grand alliance led by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

YSR, as the chief minister is popularly known, had a dig at TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, saying he tried to fool people through all sorts of promises.

The TDP had promised free colour televisions to the poor and monthly cash payments of Rs.1,000-2,000 to every poor and middle class family.

“Chandrababu Naidu has a poor credibility record as he failed to keep his word in the past,” said the chief minister.

Showering praise on the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said they provided a government which worked sincerely for the poor.

“Our government also has the blessings of God as the state is receiving good rains since we came to power,” said YSR, who completed five years in office on Thursday.

To a query, he said the newly-elected legislators of the party would elect the leader in accordance with the directives of party’s central leadership.

Asked as to why the party failed to win 230 seats as he had claimed, YSR said it was because of local factors, and attributed the same reason to the defeat of several ministers and state Congress chief D. Srinivas, who was present at the press conference.

YSR promised to complete all irrigation projects under the ambitious “Jalayagnam” programme over the next four years, estimated to cost a whopping Rs.1 trillion.